The Girl Who Stayed
by Ava Ross
Summary: Ever fancied to travel through space and time with the Doctor? Whether it's for dancing during a post-apocalyptic war or to lay in apple grass, join the Doctor and the TARDIS in new adventures. I do not wish to tear you in pieces like Steven Moffat so I promise a peaceful ending and a not lonely Doctor. Doctor (you pick, but I write thinking of 10) x N. (for your Name or a random)
1. Chapter 1

She was sitting crossed leg on the TARDIS floor, playing with her hair mindlessly, her eyes converging on some wires dangerously wretched on the wall she faced. The Doctor was wandering around as regular, jumping occasionally at the thought of another brilliant idea of his.

"Alright, so if I can fix the ionic transformer and the replicator of particles we might be able to...ah yes!" exclaimed he, poking his cheek with the sonic screwdriver.

He then began to pace around the control board pushing a button here and there. Not that the Doctor was tedious to watch, but she was so physically drained she couldn't help herself out of gawking at the metal structure in front of her, neglecting everything the Doctor was saying, not like he was talking to her anyhow.

They had just arrived from a planet called "Forejashetica" located in the nebula "Kirhna" of the south-east of the galaxy "Malw". She knew because the Doctor had made her repeat the names restlessly until she got them right. He somehow had found pleasure in how ridiculous she sounded, mocking her accent.

She had been travelling with him for a good year now, roaming the universe with the last of the Time Lords. Specifically, they met each other the day of the Brexit vote. She was travelling in England, ready to go back to where she was from, when she had seen this peculiar man, racing around the train station flashing a weird instrument on the machines distributing tickets. He then went to her to ask for a chewing gum. Puzzled, she had bequeathed him her whole pack, provoking an excessive cry of satisfaction from the man.

"Hopefully, it will make them go "pop", cheers," had he said, before retreating frantically in a Starbucks.

A few seconds later, she had overheard screams emanating from the coffee shop and an inhuman shriek. Horrified, she reminisced running towards the place the noise came from only to discover chewing gum coating absolutely everything: floor, ceiling, walls, furniture. The only spot it had spared was where the man she had offered her last chewing gum pack stood.

"What the hell," she had stated, staring, incredulous, at the boyish grin forming on his slender face.

Then the pink gluey texture had commenced quivering and he had seized her hand, yelling:

"Run!"

They decamped to safety (if safety there was), escaping this nightmarish creature, later disintegrating it with the entire content of the scanty flask of Whiskey she had purchased in Edinburgh.

"Alcohol IS nasty kids, toxicity so high it slaughters the Hugu right away, imagine your brain cells," he had proclaimed, content, while making a sort of parade around the ash residue of the monster.

She was so stunned; she had pinched herself twice to make sure she was not sleeping. He'd came to her and demanded if she was alright, yet she cannot recall what she had reported to the Doctor, even though he proudly reminds her:

"You're crazy, that's crazy, whatever the hell is that: I'm in."

Ever since they've saved the Earth a couple of dozen times and other planets at least a good thirty. Yet, she still wasn't used to it. She wasn't a sporty person, truthfully she absolutely abhorred the idea of "sweating for fun", but with the Doctor it was different. Well, she was still not a sportive person, but at least she had a reason to run from time to time.

They had just come back from this excursion on Forejashetica and hell did they run. The TARDIS was captured by some stupid yellow space primates and they had to climb a mountain to take it back. The Doctor was thrilled because it indicated that they had accepted them and if they desired to go back they wouldn't attack them with their lengthy toe's nails like they had tried when they first landed. In her case, she was just wholly and undoubtedly drained.

Soon enough, she was resting her head on one of the TARDIS's rigid columns, her eyelids falling frequently to meet each other. Her hand had dropped from her hair and her breathing was deep.

"N. have you seen the hydrogen stocking box, think the TARDIS deserves a snack for being such a good girl," asked the Doctor, caressing the control panel.

Earning no answers, he spun around to see the drowsy girl, barely fighting to stay awake.

"Oh," emitted he, with a warm smile.

Walking to her, he suddenly felt bad for being so demanding. He had dragged her all around Forejashetica for the last week and thinking of it, she hadn't had a good night sleep even before they arrived there. Groaning at his stupidity, he kneeled to be at her height.

"'Think it's time for you to go to sleep, N.," he muttered in an easy tone, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Mmmm," she murmured, her eyes closed.

He couldn't let her sleep on the floor, her flimsy human body would presumably pain her for the next days. Sighing, he captured the girl in his arms and carried her to her quarters, carefully wrapping her exhausted body in fluffy blankets. After cocooning her, he leisurely retreated, watching her sleep with the same amazement he's always had for human's needs.

Oh humans, they are so small in the universe yet so wonderfully unique and interesting.

* * *

When she woke up in her bed, she was utterly confused. She didn't know how long she had slept for but the clouds in her mind had somehow vanished and it felt right to be able to think again. Having rested in her dirty clothes, she immediately went to take a shower, taking the opportunity to express her reborn self, she began to sing powerfully assuming the walls of the TARDIS were thoroughly thick and she needn't worrying about the Doctor catching her in the act.

Having finished cleaning herself, she retired and dried her hair, making sure not to look at her reflection in the mirror, then headed to the TARDIS's wardrobe, a towel around her.

The place was gigantic and oddly appeared similar to a thrift shop. It wasn't dusty or cheap but there was something reassuring in the old atmosphere. She particularly enjoyed the 1900's Earth women wear section even though she didn't have the opportunity to wear any of the wonderful apparels yet.

Dressed in a long black skirt and a dull grey camisole, she headed to the control room. The Doctor was surprisingly not there; neither on the floor under. The TARDIS hummed something and she laughed.

"He forgot... a banana in the kitchen, why am I not even surprised."

The TARDIS beeped lightly at a high frequency. Laughter. After a couple a second, the noises became more conventional. It was speaking. She had determined how to understand the TARDIS a couple months ago and remarkably they'd became friends. Their favourite activity was to mock the Doctor.

"He what? Oh my Lord," she chuckled aloud.

The TARDIS lit up a screen, showing her pictures of the Doctor, dressed head-to-toe in a yellow tuxedo with the fruit resembling his outfit in his pocket. She had to admit that even if it appeared ludicrous, he was still handsome, his signature smirk glowing on his face.

N. only got a couple of seconds to admire the pictures until everything shut down. The floor began to shake energetically, knocking her off her balance, her body hitting instantly the cold and firm ground. Her head met the floor first and her vision blurred. The earthquake...well "spacequake" maintained its violence and the wires she was staring at earlier cut loose, throwing sparks of electricity all around. Certain parts of the control board flew precariously around, breaking themselves on the strong columns. It was chaos.

Then black.

* * *

An eerie scent in the air and a warm touch woke her up. Blinking, she recognized in the dark a panicked Doctor by her side. His lips were moving but all he was pronouncing was nonsense. The atmosphere was heavy, her head tortured her and her vision hadn't lost its milky constitution.

Gradually, she completely regained consciousness. She sat with soreness in the debris ornating the room, wholly aware of the odd circumstances, subsequently catching clearly what the Doctor was saying.

"Lumi ano qusa kerano quil haw," he was repeating, alarmed, breathless.

The realization stunned her, but she wouldn't consider it.

"What? What are you saying, Doctor," she questioned, dread crushing her guts.

"Lumi ano qusa kerano quil haw, ju," he renewed, his face contracted in confusion, a bead of sweat gliding on his bruised forehead.

Either, she bumped her head quite firmly or he wasn't conversing in her language anymore. She breathed with difficulty, trying to maintain collected.

Nevertheless, the subsequent few minutes proved her imagination hadn't tricked her. She couldn't comprehend a single term he was saying.

All was too clear now: The TARDIS's translating telepathic field had succumbed to the catastrophe.


	2. Chapter 2

It's a very short chapter, I'm so sorry but I'm really busy with school and I want to make sure to keep you guys updated !

To the new reviewer : Technically the Doctor does speak all the languages, but I thought it would add something more to his character if he only spoke Gallifreyan since the beginning and the TARDIS translates for him, so he never practiced to speak in ALL languages, he was just preserving his natal tongue and relying on the translator field all that time. Thank you a lot for pointing it out, I should of mentionned it !

Enjoy this chapter, guys.

* * *

She dreamt of stars imploding and a scarlet blazing planet collapsing on the sun. But she was immobile, incapable to do anything but watch. She woke up, not at all reposed, her head falling off the Doctor's shoulders.

"Alright there?" she heard, distantly.

"Yeah I guess I...", she started, rubbing her eyes. "I can understand you!" she exclaimed with as much enthusiasm she could express while being drowsy.

A huge smile appeared on his face and The Doctor quickly hugged N., then standing up as fast as it's humanly possible, though he wasn't human.

"If the translator is fixed, that means we can travel to somewhere safer", he shouted before leaving the Zero room.

N. followed him with a sleepyish demarche, keeping herself standing with a hold on the TARDIS wall. On a shiny, silver, new wall. The heaviness of her eyelids instantly washed away and she examined the TARDIS. No wires to be seen, nothing hanging from the ceiling, the floor: clean and straight; the lights: bright and glowing of colorful tones.

She ran to the control room. Everything seemed so...modern. She gaped, her mouth open wide. Even the control board was set up in a futuristic version, yet it was still the TARDIS with its familiar hum and atmosphere.

"Earth, 2020, year of the apogee of fashion, well human fashion, I think, anyway we will only settle down for the TARDIS to fuel itself, not much of a big deal," the Doctor stated, slowly, while scratching the back of his neck.

He maneuvered with skillful hands and feet the commands and without any turbulences the TARDIS landed, so smoothly the Doctor had to check outside to be sure they did, had arrived.

"Oh, I think you might want to change clothes. If you go outside, of course," he declared, chewing his lips afterward.

She frowned and slipped her head out of the doors of the TARDIS.

What a peculiar view she got. Men and women, humans, all wearing extremely tight dark clothes, molding deadly skinny bodies, walking around like zombies, all of them carrying nothing but a bottle of a translucid liquid, she guessed was water.

"Is that..." she commenced, insecure.

"Humans." he completed, his brows knitted.

"What year is it, you said," she asked a few seconds later, still observing the unfamiliar scene.

He ran back to the control board and stared at one of the screens.

"2020. Los Angeles, United States of America," he read.

N. closed the doors and leaned her back on them. What had happened in 4 years to leave this world so alienated?

"How long do we have until the TARDIS completely feed," she asked, staring at the ceiling, waiting for an answer.

"She's still too weak to properly communicate with us, but it will probably take a few days, she was badly damaged, I almost thought..." he stopped, glancing at something she couldn't see.

"As long there is life, there is hope," she completed, this time, smiling widely.

He nodded with a school boy beam crossing his face.

"I'm glad I met you," he declared suddenly.

She blushed, turning her face away.

"I'm glad I met you too," she mumbled inaudibly, struck by his revelation.

Silence installed itself comfortably in the room and none of them was moving.

"So I'm going to try to find something to wear, you should too," she told the Doctor, before leaving the room awkwardly.

She found a pair of dull dark leggings and a black cotton long sleeves shirt. She'd also noticed the women wearing all remarkably high heels and she grabbed obscure giant plastic heels. Swaying clumsily (she was rusty in walking with heels) in the main room, she noticed The Doctor wasn't anywhere to be seen. N. then decided to practice her gait when he came back, dressed in a complete black set of clothes: suit, tie, shoes, shirt, socks, and maybe more. They stood looking at each other for a couple of seconds.

"I think we are good for a walk," the Doctor declared, offering her arm his arm.

The city was the same than in 2015, at least that's what the Doctor said; how could she know? She had never come to USA before. She had heard the stereotype that a lot of people were obese there, never she had thought to see walking sticks everywhere.

The buildings, the structure was exactly the same according to him: The only variant was its people. They had crossed the entire city, nothing explaining the apparent weird situation when at 4 pm straight everybody stopped practicing what they were earlier doing: walking, driving, talking.

They either picked up their mobile phone or gawked at a screen nearby. A group of women stood in the frame and a commentator was addressing to the public:

-10 spots are available from now on! Think you are skinny enough? Think you are boney-honey looking? Join our ranks and give your comrade a legacy to protect: Join now, you know where to find us.

The screens turned black and everything seems to come back to "normal".

The Doctor and N. looked at each other and nodded: They knew where to go now.


	3. Chapter 3

It's a very short chapter, I'm so sorry but I'm really busy with school and I want to make sure to keep you guys updated ! To the new reviewer : Technically the Doctor does speak all the languages, but I thought it would add something more to his character if he only spoke Gallifreyan since the beginning and the TARDIS translates for him, so he never practiced to speak in ALL languages, he was just preserving his natal tongue and relying on the translator field all that time. Thank you a lot for pointing it out, I should of mentionned it !

Enjoy this chapter, guys.

She dreamt of stars imploding and a scarlet blazing planet collapsing on the sun. But she was immobile, incapable to do anything but watch. She woke up, not at all reposed, her head falling off the Doctor's shoulders.

"Alright there?" she heard, distantly.

"Yeah I guess I...", she started, rubbing her eyes. "I can understand you!" she exclaimed with as much enthusiasm she could express while being drowsy.

A huge smile appeared on his face and The Doctor quickly hugged N., then standing up as fast as it's humanly possible, though he wasn't human.

"If the translator is fixed, that means we can travel to somewhere safer", he shouted before leaving the Zero room.

N. followed him with a sleepyish demarche, keeping herself standing with a hold on the TARDIS wall. On a shiny, silver, new wall. The heaviness of her eyelids instantly washed away and she examined the TARDIS. No wires to be seen, nothing hanging from the ceiling, the floor: clean and straight; the lights: bright and glowing of colorful tones.

She ran to the control room. Everything seemed so...modern. She gaped, her mouth open wide. Even the control board was set up in a futuristic version, yet it was still the TARDIS with its familiar hum and atmosphere.

"Earth, 2020, year of the apogee of fashion, well human fashion, I think, anyway we will only settle down for the TARDIS to fuel itself, not much of a big deal," the Doctor stated, slowly, while scratching the back of his neck.

He maneuvered with skillful hands and feet the commands and without any turbulences the TARDIS landed, so smoothly the Doctor had to check outside to be sure they did, had arrived.

"Oh, I think you might want to change clothes. If you go outside, of course," he declared, chewing his lips afterward.

She frowned and slipped her head out of the doors of the TARDIS.

What a peculiar view she got. Men and women, humans, all wearing extremely tight dark clothes, molding deadly skinny bodies, walking around like zombies, all of them carrying nothing but a bottle of a translucid liquid, she guessed was water.

"Is that..." she commenced, insecure.

"Humans." he completed, his brows knitted.

"What year is it, you said," she asked a few seconds later, still observing the unfamiliar scene.

He ran back to the control board and stared at one of the screens.

"2020. Los Angeles, United States of America," he read.

N. closed the doors and leaned her back on them. What had happened in 4 years to leave this world so alienated?

"How long do we have until the TARDIS completely feed," she asked, staring at the ceiling, waiting for an answer.

"She's still too weak to properly communicate with us, but it will probably take a few days, she was badly damaged, I almost thought..." he stopped, glancing at something she couldn't see.

"As long there is life, there is hope," she completed, this time, smiling widely.

He nodded with a school boy beam crossing his face.

"I'm glad I met you," he declared suddenly.

She blushed, turning her face away.

"I'm glad I met you too," she mumbled inaudibly, struck by his revelation.

Silence installed itself comfortably in the room and none of them was moving.

"So I'm going to try to find something to wear, you should too," she told the Doctor, before leaving the room awkwardly.

She found a pair of dull dark leggings and a black cotton long sleeves shirt. She'd also noticed the women wearing all remarkably high heels and she grabbed obscure giant plastic heels. Swaying clumsily (she was rusty in walking with heels) in the main room, she noticed The Doctor wasn't anywhere to be seen. N. then decided to practice her gait when he came back, dressed in a complete black set of clothes: suit, tie, shoes, shirt, socks, and maybe more. They stood looking at each other for a couple of seconds.

"I think we are good for a walk," the Doctor declared, offering her arm his arm.

The city was the same than in 2015, at least that's what the Doctor said; how could she know? She had never come to USA before. She had heard the stereotype that a lot of people were obese there, never she had thought to see walking sticks everywhere.

The buildings, the structure was exactly the same according to him: The only variant was its people. They had crossed the entire city, nothing explaining the apparent weird situation when at 4 pm straight everybody stopped practicing what they were earlier doing: walking, driving, talking.

They either picked up their mobile phone or gawked at a screen nearby. A group of women stood in the frame and a commentator was addressing to the public:

-10 spots are available from now on! Think you are skinny enough? Think you are boney-honey looking? Join our ranks and give your comrade a legacy to protect: Join now, you know where to find us.

The screens turned black and everything seems to come back to "normal".

The Doctor and N. looked at each other and nodded: They knew where to go now.


	4. Chapter 4

GitaMerah: It's been solely a few weeks that I began to publish story/be on this website. I didn't grasp that you could tag OC or anything like that. I am sorry if you were insulted by my tagging, I did intend for Rose to be there, as well as Jack but you are right they are seemingly not going to appear as main characters, only as memories, at one point in the narrative that is probably not going to be soon.

* * *

 **TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains explicit mention and passages about anorexia, weight shaming, and intimidation. If you are sensible to this subject I recommend that you skip it.**

* * *

They used the TARDIS's new GPS to track company...ironically. It was the tallest skyscraper in town.

N. was waiting outside, curious about the metallic landscape, nevertheless, insecure about the surrounding. Her eyes kept going back to the everlasting structure of firm; the sunset was burning on its windows, blinding her by its fire. The Doctor was hugging the TARDIS one last time, when she found a bottle, looking like one of those containing the precious liquid everyone seemed to be carrying around. It was there, on the ground, shaded by the shadow of a bush.

She picked it up, it was almost empty, a couple of millimeters of fluid caressing the bottom.

"Give it to me," inquired the Doctor, whose steps were so light she didn't detect him getting to her.

She presented him the bottle. After all, it was probably just water, no need to freak out. His slender hands grasped the cap and the Doctor smelled the content with repugnance.

"Aperient, caffeine, and a little bit of emetic, plus something I can't quite...Morsbane," he snapped, throwing the bottle in the bushes violently.

N. jumped at the intensity of his gesture. He turned to face her and gripped her shoulders, leaving her even more startled.

"These people are under someone's control, you can't even get Morsbane on Earth, it is an alien substance, it doesn't even grow in this galaxy! N., humans are forced by someone to poison themselves, they are not committing retarded suicide on purpose, they are getting assassinated: somebody is killing their metabolism to retract the production of lipids but also...," the Doctor argued, gazing wildly in her eyes.

She muted what he was saying, turned off her attention, burned down the communication center of her mind for a moment. Too many bloody words, too many forbidden terms. She looked emptily in his chocolate orbs, her knuckles turning white, firmly biting her tongue to not whine. "Aperient", "caffeine, "emetic", "suicide", these words were bringing her memories she thought buried, rotten, gone.

"We better go then," she murmured forcingly, interrupting him.

Her own voice seemed so distant. She cracked a smile and started to walk to , leaving a perplexed Doctor behind. He joined her a few seconds later and silence marched along them until they reached the organization.

* * *

Hundreds of men and women, skinny, thin, apocalyptically slim were waiting in line in front of the construction. Some of them were sitting in a wheelchair, others relying on a cane: Few of them were talking. Then N. noticed at the entry, small crowds gathering around what seemed large trash cans...spitting in them, or at least that's what she wanted to believe. After the process, they would step on a tiny platform and all appeared to be rejected by the authorities guarding the two unique massive doors of the edifice.

"Don't worry about the line, I have an idea," said the Doctor, break the stillness reigning.

N. glanced up. He was showing up his psychic paper proudly. She concentrated, her brows knitting together: Now that she knew that the paper was supposed to show her what the Doctor wanted, she only saw a blank sheet of paper, thus she had to focus on letting her mind free to see what was written on it.

"I'm your manager now, N.," he said, winking.

She sighed.

"I doubt we will pass anyways, I'm pretty sure they are weighing them and I'm obviously not in their standards," she affirmed, looking away.

Not listening, the Doctor grabbed N.'s arm and went directly to the guardians.

"Hello there, I'm the John Smith and this is N., she had been chosen to participate in the contest, here it is our pass," he declared, showing his psychic paper to the grumpy guard.

The guard nodded, gave the paper back to the Doctor and centered his attention on N.. She could feel her face getting red and her palms moist.

"Mr Smith, I must inform you that she is unquestionably overweight. She will reasonably stay here all her life, no chance she wins anything, surely not this, the people who gave you this pass were probably blind, though even a visually impaired could see she is obese» he announced, sharply.

She felt her heart squeeze into her ribs and her insides melting like acid was poured into her mouth. Her tongue went dry and she couldn't respond to the guard. Her vision blurred and she remembered everything: the starving, the vomiting, the crying, insomnia, the cold in summer, the freezing in winter, the blood, the stinging constant pain in her chest, wrists and thighs, the shame, the eternal and everlasting shame, her disgust for mirrors, her hatred for herself.

"Hey there, that was nasty," The Doctor accused, hands on his hips.

"It's okay, let's just go," N. slurred, grasping his hand to go inside.

Her eyes were still burning when they reached a large minimalistic hall with an empty counter. The Doctor didn't seem to have noticed and was chatting eagerly.

"Alright now that we are in, let's explore...eh most of the time the bad guys hide on the last floor, don't ask me why, it's just like that I guess they like the taste of feeling like being on top of the world, ah!" he exclaimed, with a smirk.

N. offered him a feeble smile and strolled to the elevator. She pressed weakly the 453 floor's button and she closed her eyes, trying to maintain her breathing steady.

"Are you alright, N., if it's too much for you, you can go back to the TARDIS and wait for me," he confessed, deadly grave.

She turned around to face him and she rolled her eyes.

"Who are you going to manage, then, no way. I'm staying with you, I'm always going to stay with you, don't you ever try again getting rid of me" she replied, a slightly more brash than she expected.

His face tumbled and he leaned on the elevator wall, staring in distance. She bit her lip apprehensively and stared at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to hurt you," she smothered, her eyes growing red again.

"You didn't, I just wish it was possible," he muttered.

"What? Getting rid of me," she stuttered faintly.

"No", he emitted, steering his gaze to meet hers."No no no, you staying with me. Always staying with me, I wish it was possible," he corrected, his voice soft and inquiring.

For the first time of the day, she grinned truly, widely.

"Oh Doctor, I will. Trust me I'll find a way," she swore, grabbing both of his hands.

He shook his head, looking at his feet. Then the door opened.

* * *

"Welcome N., welcome to ," people cried, enthusiasm echoing in their voice.

A crowd was there to welcome them, cameras and TV cameras were set to capture their arrival and N. stiffened. A young boney lady came to her and seized her hand to lead her to a place she seemed to need to go. As of the Doctor, he was trying his best to follow them, but the paparazzi didn't help much. He finally succeeded to rejoin them, nonetheless, he still stayed near the front line with the cameraman and paparazzi. Discerning him in the crowd, N. relaxed and sat where she was invited to.

"Again welcome to , I'm Anita, how are you feeling," the woman asked lightly.

They were resting in a sumptuously decorated parlor, although a decor. Waiting for her answer, the woman was sipping the content of a porcelain cup: a liquid that she recognized, a liquid that was also in a cup destined to her.

"Dizzy, I suppose," N. responded, ill-at-ease.

"Oh, you're probably hungry sweetie, don't worry I'll lead you to the cafeteria in a moment," Anita promised, a full fake laugh hanging on her lips.

She then started to ask her question about herself. N. answered clumsily. She thanked the Doctor's presence in the front row, without him she would have presumably fainted, out of pressure. His presence was a balm to all the negative energy she felt at that instant.

"Alright, let's eat before you faint, dearie," Anita laughed, staring at the camera instead of her.

"Thanks," N. mumbled while following the thin woman.

The Doctor caught them up and laced his fingers with hers as they entered the cafeteria.

A hundred of worn out, slender faces were staring at them, precisely at her. Their carved eyes, full of judgment and fatigue, looking at her with revulsion.

* * *

Note:

This chapter came faster than I thought, the next chapter is going to be the end of this "episode", they will soon enough visit another galaxy and strange little aliens that can only be saved by the Doctor and N. .

Hope you enjoyed it! Don't be shy and please leave your comments! :)


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